These Damned Kids
by Desbelleschoses
Summary: An alternate telling of Boruto ep. 25-31 from Suigetsu's perspective. Suigetsu and Karin are sent to the Village Hidden in the Mist by Orochimaru, who has given them a mission concerning the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.


Not once in Karin's life had motion sickness ever been a problem. Maybe it was because she relied on her own two feet, or perhaps because she'd never been stationed anywhere she would need alternative transportation. The ocean wasn't something she had to worry about, until now. She clung to the guardrail with her right hand, her knuckles white from the force. Her glasses were clasped in her left, having come close to losing them once already. The boat rocked steadily over the waves, throwing off her equilibrium and bringing up the contents of her stomach.

Karin leaned over the railing and vomited, not for the first time. All that was left in her stomach was bile, but that didn't seem to matter. If she were a weaker woman, she might have cried at her continued misfortune. A small part of her wanted to. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this ill. She groaned and leaned her arm against the guardrail, pressing her hot forehead against the skin. Just one moment to close her eyes.

Her feet stumbled beneath her, despite her stationary position on the carrier vessel. Red eyes flew open in panic, but her momentum was stopped by a hand on her waist. She hardly had time to balance herself before she leaned over the railing once more, coughing without purpose. It wasn't necessary for her to look up to know who was behind her. She'd know that repulsive chakra signature anywhere.

Yet, she didn't say anything when Suigetsu gathered her hair up and tied it back out of the way. She allowed him to take her glasses out of her hand, and she was thankful that she could steady herself with both arms now. Trying to comfort herself, she placed her elbows on the metal rail and laced her fingers behind her head, just below the tie. The water was deep blue, its waves indistinguishable without her glasses. That was probably for the best.

Gently, she eased herself down to sit on the deck. She crossed her legs in front of her and groaned, putting her head in her hands. She stared blankly down at her lap, trying her best to take even breaths. A sudden movement caught her eye, and she looked up. In front of her face was a black and green water bottle, which had a straw sticking out of the top. Her eyes followed along the arm that was holding it.

Suigetsu was squatting beside her, tilting the water bottle back and forth when she didn't take it. His brow was furrowed, and his lips turned down. "Take it," he insisted, a second away from forcing it into her hands. "You're seasick. You need to hydrate."

"I know what seasickness is, dumbass," Karin snapped, although there wasn't much venom in her voice. She wrinkled her nose in disgust before accepting his offer. She caught the straw between her lips and tongue, taking several small sips as not to upset her stomach more than it already was. If nothing else, it helped with the awful taste in her mouth. When she tried to hand it back, Suigetsu refused to take it.

"You need it more than I do. It's humid enough that I don't need to drink as much water."

Ah. That would explain the way her shirt was clinging to her skin. The humidity had snuck up on her, layering down until she was trapped beneath it without being aware of it. How anyone could live like this was beyond her. "Can you see it yet?"

Suigetsu stood and looked ahead, violet eyes scanning the horizon. "There's too much mist," he admitted, unsurprised. "We should be getting close, though."

"Thank God," Karin sighed. A moment's pause, and she added, "You still have it, don't you?"

"Of course," Suigetsu scoffed. "What do you take me for?"

"I asked because, if you fuck up, Orochimaru is going to come down on both of us, not just you."

"I know that, and I have it. Have some faith in me, woman."

Karin occupied her mouth with the water bottle, choosing her battles wisely. Their mission hadn't even begun. Their banter was a welcome distraction from her illness, but she was still too unwell to have a full-fledged argument on the passenger vessel. They had to lie low, after all; Suigetsu still hadn't been pardoned by his native village.

"You have the pack, too, right?" she asked, referring to the satchel Orochimaru had given them upon their departure. It contained everything from their hotel reservation to their mission objective. Orochimaru had unilaterally decided that, in a village bustling with tourists, it made the most sense to hide in plain sight.

"Right here," Suigetsu assured her, gesturing to the pack on his hip. "You don't need to babysit me, you know."

She couldn't keep herself from snorting. Karma wracked her with another wave of nausea, which, thankfully, passed after just a moment.

"Did you figure out who we're supposed to be?" He glanced down at her, arching one white eyebrow.

"I've been a little preoccupied," she hissed, doing her best to be threatening while taking another sip of water.

Suigetsu shrugged. "We can make it up as we go," he decided. "We need names, though. I was thinking Kaito. Maybe you could be Ayaka?"

Karin waved her hand dismissively. "Fine. I don't care." She didn't hear a response, and so she tilted her head up to look at Suigetsu. The white-haired man was visibly alarmed, stammering and scratching his head.

"Oh, what the _fuck?!_ "

She followed his gaze to see that the mist had dissipated, bringing out a spectacular view. She'd never seen a village quite like this. Towers rose into the sky, piercing the clouds above. Everything was shiny and metal, too pristine for the island surrounding it. Large screens flashed bright colors, advertising products and places so obtrusively that some could be read from the deck of the ship, despite the distance. Large ships filled the busy port, taking and leaving tourists as they came and went.

It was stunning.

A rugged sailor chuckled as he approached, clapping Suigetsu on the shoulder. "Been a while since you've been to Kirigakure, huh, son?"

"Almost fifteen years, now," Suigetsu admitted, rubbing his eyes to make sure he was seeing correctly.

"After Lord Sixth took over, the village really blossomed. Finally, we're known for something positive. We erased the name of the Blood Mist and built a civilization people are happy to visit." The sailor beamed with pride.

Giving him what he clearly wanted, Karin offered him a small, fake smile. "That's wonderful," she lied.

"Sure is," the sailor chortled before heading on his way.

Karin forced herself to her feet and stood in front of Suigetsu, blocking his view of the land. "Get yourself together," she hissed, poking him once in the chest. "You'll screw everything up acting like that!"

Suigetsu blinked a few times, his mind trying to catch up. "Hm. Right." His tone was flat, distracted. "We should, uh, go get our stuff. We'll be docking soon. Oh, and here." He held her glasses out, not even trying to play keep-away. Karin plucked them from his palm, and he turned his back on her to disappear below deck.

With one hand holding Suigetsu's water bottle, Karin used her mouth to help open the frames, which she then tucked over her ears. Finally able to see, she understood Suigetsu's reaction a little bit better. While she'd never visited Kirigakure, the level of modernization it displayed was obviously cutting-edge. None of this could have existed before the war, or even several years after. Fifteen years was a long time, but even she wouldn't have expected such a change.

She took one last sip of water, frowning when the straw made a hollow slurping noise inside the empty cup. Oh well. With a push of her index finger, her glasses moved higher up the bridge of her nose, and she set off after Suigetsu. Thankfully, the boat had started to slow, which allowed her legs a little bit of stability as she went. This didn't stop her from clinging to the railing as she descended, but at least she didn't fall.

* * *

Karin spread out the map she'd picked up from an information kiosk at the dock, scanning the area for their hotel. Although the name of it was Seaside Hotel and Spa, she had a sinking feeling that Orochimaru didn't break the bank on their account. It was probably one of those run-down places with a fancy name to lure in unsuspecting tourists and unfortunate employees of cheap bosses.

"What's the street name?" she asked, unable to locate the hotel by name alone. Suigetsu didn't respond. She looked over her shoulder to see him staring vacantly at their surroundings. "Su- Kaito!" she snapped, hastily correcting herself. Her companion didn't respond to his false name, so she stomped on his foot.

"God dammit!" he swore, scowling at her. " _What_?!"

"The street name. Of the hotel." Red eyes narrowed at him.

"Oh." He glanced at the paper in his hand. "Vista Row. The hell kind of pompous bullshit name is that?!"

Karin chose to ignore him, running a finger over the streets marked on the map. "Ah! Here." She tapped the paper. "Come on." Not pausing to give him a choice, she disappeared into the crowded street. Thankfully, her red hair made her easy to pick out of a group. Suigetsu had to jog several steps to catch up.

Suddenly, he grabbed Karin by the wrist and pulled her down a side street, just enough to move out of sight. A finger to his lips told her to stay quiet. After a moment, they dared to peer around the corner. A group of children gathered outside of a hotel, and they were able to pick out Sarada and Mitsuki from the group. Well, things were starting to make a little more sense. Predictably, the name of their hotel was printed on the front of that same building. So, their lodgings would be the same as the Konoha children. Hopefully, Naruto wasn't cheap.

A lanky man that Karin didn't recognize lead the horde of children away from the hotel, and she counted out two minutes before she and Suigetsu slipped out of the alley to approach their hotel. "Maybe there's a plan here, after all," she allowed.

"Maybe. Or it could be coincidence." Suigetsu shrugged. With Orochimaru, both were likely possibilities. He approached the front desk and handed the concierge the slip of paper with their reservation on it. "Here you are, sir." He gave a closed-lipped smile to hide his teeth.

The keys clacked as the man searched the computer. "One moment," he requested, taking a second to click around with his mouse. "Alright. You'll be staying in room 610. That'll be the sixth floor, to the left." He slid a set of keys across the counter.

The hotel may be nice, but, true to form, Orochimaru had skimped where he could. He shouldn't have been surprised that they'd be sharing a room. "Thanks," he mumbled, not entirely grateful. He set off toward the staircase, Karin one step behind.

"Of course," she huffed, although he could tell he wasn't the one she was angry with. He didn't envy Orochimaru for a second; the tongue lashing that was awaiting him would only be refined over the next several days. By the time they returned, it would be a perfect storm of verbal blows. The thought sent a chill down his spine.

Six flights put them at the correct floor, and Suigetsu looked down at the magnetic card he'd been given at the front desk. He did as the pictographs showed him and slid the card down into the reader. The light blinked green, and the mechanical lock released. He pushed down on the handle and walked into the room, closing the door once both he and Karin were inside. It wasn't too shabby. There was a private bathroom to the right, and the counter appeared to be made out of real marble. He gave a low, appreciative whistle at the detail.

"I'll fucking kill him!" Karin shouted, probably disturbing the neighbors in all five directions of their room. Eager to smooth the situation out before it got worse, Suigetsu took a few large steps until he was out of the narrow hallway.

Of course. Of _fucking course_ there was one bed. He sighed, knowing at this point that he would get the short end of the stick. "Just leave it alone, Karin," he resigned, shaking his head. "We both know I'm sleeping on the floor, so what's it matter?"

"It's the principle of the thing!" Karin turned to him. "Not even an ounce of respect. Disgusting." She ground her teeth and stalked past Suigetsu to the bathroom. He heard her mutter something about "top-class researcher" and "couldn't do shit without me," followed by "never did this shit to Kabuto." To his surprise, the door shut rather than slammed. The water began to run on the other side of the door.

Suigetsu opened the bedside drawer and pulled out a folded guide. If Orochimaru really wanted to put them out this badly, the least they could do would be to add an inordinate amount of food service to the bill.

He grinned devilishly as he reached for the phone, placing an order to be delivered in a few hours. He decided on the fish – what better to have in Kirigakure? – and remembered that Karin preferred chicken. Both plates were recommended with a pinot grigio, of which he chose the most expensive bottle. Two pints of ice cream capped out their total, which was, to Suigetsu's twisted pleasure, sure to cost just as much as one night in the room.

The phone clicked back on the receiver. He had two hours before the room service would arrive; although, if he was being honest, he'd be just as willing to let it sit in the hallway as to eat it. The water had stopped running in the bathroom, but the faint splashing sounds he could hear told him that Karin had drawn a bath. That could buy him a little time. He took one of the magnetic cards from the paper packet and stuck it in his pocket. What she didn't know couldn't hurt him, after all. As quietly as he could, he slid the glass door to the balcony open, closing it behind him before bounding off across the rooftops.

Karin felt his chakra become distant, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She closed her eyes and sank down into the hot water, trying to forget their last day of travel.

* * *

Suigetsu's fingers twitched by his side as he looked hungrily at the cliff face before him. It was right there. He could practically sense it. Right there, in front of him, it laughed at his powerlessness. He felt an overwhelming tension in his chest, desire stronger than any he'd felt in almost a decade. It would be so easy for him to break in and take what he wanted. Trying to compose himself, he took a single deep breath.

He wouldn't be greedy. Out of the six blades locked away, he only wanted one. Well, one for now. The others, he could come back for later. The hardest to attain would be Lord Sixth's, but that was a problem for another day. Right now, if he could only have the Executioner's Blade back in his hands, he'd be fulfilled in a way that he hadn't been in so very long.

His lips curled up in a power-hungry display of sharp teeth. Like a phantom limb, he could feel the sword's weight in his hands. He was so lost in his reverie, he almost didn't notice the familiar chakra signature approaching from behind. With a brief glance behind him, Suigetsu flickered, teleporting away from where he'd been standing. From his new vantage point, he saw the small, white-haired boy stop, taking a confused look at his surroundings. He was smiling, the little brat.

Mitsuki had seen him; he was sure of it. He shouldn't have known that Suigetsu was in the village. Damn it, the kid was getting good. Maybe going to that school in the Leaf was actually good for him. Jugo, Karin, and Suigetsu never had such an opportunity. He'd just as soon have seen to Mitsuki's training in their hideout, but Orochimaru made the executive decision without consulting any of them for their opinions. Now, the brat was advancing at an alarming pace. He was good; Suigetsu couldn't deny it.

Unnaturally golden eyes flicked to Suigetsu's hiding place, and he bit back a swear. Another flicker, and he was gone. Their mission didn't involve Mitsuki. It would be better to keep him out of it.

He did his best to look casual when he arrived back at the hotel. He stopped by a vending machine and bought a drink before walking up the stairs. Once at their door, he inserted his key and opened it when the light flickered green. To his surprise, Karin was nowhere to be found. He set the key and his drink on top of the dresser before turning back down the narrow hallway. His knuckles rapped lightly against the wooden door. There was no answer. He tried the doorknob and found it unlocked. With a small push, he cracked the door just enough to ask, "Karin? You in here?"

He heard water slough in the tub and took that for his answer. When she gave him a verbal response, he was caught off guard. "Yeah. Just a second." Her voice sounded heavy, and he wondered if she hadn't fallen asleep. Wordlessly, he shut the door and went back to the main room, popping the tab of his drink and sitting on the bed. With a push of a button, the remote turned on the television. There had to be something halfway decent to watch.

After he settled on a serialized comedy about a civilian posing as a ninja, he leaned back and placed his hands behind his head. Karin emerged from the hallway, wrapped in one of the plush robes provided by the hotel. She held her glasses in her hand, and her wet hair clung to her neck and back. Her eyes were half-lidded, but not from squinting. Without speaking, she climbed onto the other side of the bed and set her glasses down. Her head hit the pillow and she closed her eyes, draping an arm over them.

It was unlike her to not dry off or to stay in a robe when she could change. Feeling the slightest tinge of worry, which he'd never admit to, Suigetsu asked, "You ok?"

"I spent the better part of the day puking off a boat. Do I look okay?" Her sarcasm came out as a groan.

He chose not to answer that honestly. "Do you need something? There's a store down in the lobby that might sell medicine."

She shook her head back and forth, beneath her arm. "The worst of it's over. I'm just tired, now."

Without her bite, she was rather pleasant company. Apparently, the way to make her docile was to make her spend an afternoon on a ship. "Well, room service should be bringing dinner soon. On Orochimaru's dime, of course."

The corner of her lips turned up in a familiar smirk. "Naturally."

"You know, I don't want to jinx it or anything, but I think that this is the longest we've gone without fighting in, what, ten, fifteen years?"

"Fifteen, if you want to count your test-tube years. Well, not really, after I was shipped out of the base."

"Those don't count," Suigetsu waved his hand dismissively. "Think Sasuke and Orochimaru had something to do with it?"

"They did when it came to fighting," Karin admitted. Many of her fights with Suigetsu arose from his taunts about her crush on Sasuke in their Team Taka years. Orochimaru had made them mortal enemies when he made Karin research Suigetsu, who had been a very unwilling captive. Now that they worked for him, that same stigma hung over their heads whenever one of them was in the lab, surrounded by similar stasis tubes and experiments.

It was for the best that a knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Suigetsu stood up to get the door, and Karin slipped into the bathroom with a fresh change of clothes.

* * *

Karin lifted her spoon to her lips, dragging the ice cream off the metal with her tongue. Dinner was delicious, made better by the knowledge that it was being billed to Orochimaru. The vanilla consumed her senses, but she was still able to sense the chakra around her. She swallowed, drumming her spoon against her pint. "The kids are back," she declared without looking at Suigetsu.

Her companion nodded, his mouth full. The last time he'd spoken with food in his mouth, she'd hit him.

"Seventh floor," she announced, closing her eyes to focus her sensory abilities. "Sarada is on the same side of the stairs as we are. Mitsuki is on the other. They've split the genders up."

Suigetsu glanced at the clock. 8 o'clock. Most of the children had probably returned for the night. "Do we tell them?"

"We don't have orders to get them involved. It'll be easier if we don't have to deal with them."

"Well? When should we go ahead with the plan?"

Karin paused to think. "The Hoshigaki boy hasn't made his move, yet. I think that, until they try to retrieve the swords, we should lie low." She blinked once before glaring accusatorily at Suigetsu. "All six are still there, right?

Suigetsu extended his arms, nearly hitting her in the chest. "Do you see my sword?"

"It isn't your sword."

"Karin, don't do this."

"I'm not doing anything."

"You're trying to start a fight."

"The Executioner's Blade isn't your personal property. It's just a fact. You're rogue. It's not like the Mizukage is going to walk up to you, hand you the sword, and go 'Don't worry about it; it'll be the six swordsmen of the mist now.' I know you like it, but a sword's a sword."

Suigetsu huffed, trying to decide if he wanted to go there tonight. In an attempt to placate her, he shrugged, "It's still there, okay? Just leave it."

Karin eyed him for a moment before popping a spoonful of ice cream between her lips. He didn't take the bait, and she didn't know how to feel about that. It was uncomfortable without the tension, the near-bloodlust and rage that arose when they went for each-other's throats. Although the peace was probably good for her blood pressure, she couldn't remember a single time that she could be within arm's reach of Suigetsu without hitting him.

It was too strange.

She climbed down off of the bed and put the cap on her dessert before sticking it in the freezer. "We need to do some recon." A white file stuck out of her bag, and she plucked it between her fingers. It was better to focus on the mission rather than on the bizarre atmosphere. She sat back on the bed, this time at the foot, across from Suigetsu. She lay the file between them and opened it. "Kagura Karatachi." Her index finger tapped the photograph that was paperclipped to one of the stat sheets. "Hoshigaki won't make his move without him; we know that much. But why?"

"Does it matter?" Suigetsu countered, pulling out the sheet below Kagura's. The name read Shizuma Hoshigaki, the attached photograph depicting him in an academy instructor uniform. "Whatever their relationship is, we know something's there. He's hinging an entire coup d'état on this kid."

"Pretty shitty plan for a coup," Karin grumbled, pushing her glasses up. Suigetsu snorted. "Katatachi is being groomed by the sixth Mizukage. Apparently, he's in possession of the Great Twin Blades." She frowned. "Wonderful."

"It's safe to say that Hoshigaki will go after Samehada. Then there's this one." Suigetsu set down another sheet, this one with a piture of a young, blonde woman. "Buntan Kurosuki. It looks like she knows about her father, so she'll probably want to get her hands on his Lightning Blades."

"Ugh. You'd think this is some sort of bloodline trait with how these kids are going after this," Karin rolled her eyes.

"All the more reason I should get my sword back."

Karin looked up from the file and glared at him, but the toothy grin she got in return told her that he was only half-serious, once again trying to push her buttons. "Nice try."

"I've never heard of the rest of these brats. Probably new clans or ones that immigrated during expansion." Suigetsu shuffled the rest of the pages. Karin froze, and he raised an eyebrow at her. She slowly shook her head, a sign that he'd come to know that she was focusing on her sensing.

"Boruto and Sarada are arguing." Stifling a groan, she added, "I can't feel Mitsuki."

"And Boruto and Sarada's chakra isn't just covering him?"

"No. He's not here."

"Shit."

Karin gathered the file components and put them back in their place. "Go find Mitsuki, but don't let him see you. I'll keep track of Boruto and Sarada."

"On it," Suigetsu agreed without argument, flickering from sight.

* * *

It was difficult for Karin to watch. Standing, looking on from a distance, as Boruto and Sarada engaged in combat with Shizuma's faction. She hadn't expected things to escalate so quickly; it was a blessing that she and Suigetsu had gotten to the village when they had. Yet, there was nothing she could do. Her orders were to stay back and interfere only when absolutely necessary.

The ground opened up, and Sarada disappeared from sight. Instinctively, she reached out with her chakra to find her. The girl was alive, underground, engaged in a one-on-one fight with one of the Mist ninja. She lost sight of Boruto and the Mizukage, focusing entirely on Sarada. Her feet shifted, and she set off into a run across the open, mist-laden field. One, two, three yards, and she was caught by a blow to her abdomen. She coughed as the breath was knocked out of her. The arm that grabbed her was pulling her back, retreating to her vantage point. It was only when she was back where she started that she was able to break free.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" she growled at Suigetsu, who kept a hand on her wrist, just in case.

"We can't interfere."

"Sarada needs our help! Are you just going to let her die?!"

"She won't die." His voice was firm and certain. "She's Sasuke's."

"She's _family._ "

"Which is why she'll be fine."

Caught off guard, Karin hesitated, tempted to believe him. The next moment, she dropped to her hands and knees, heaving and shaking. Her senses were overwhelmed with the most vile, perverse chakra that she'd ever encountered. It wasn't just strong, or evil, but fundamentally _wrong_. It was the horror or something that shouldn't exist. Her diaphragm spasmed in a coughing fit.

"Karin!" Suigetsu crouched by her side, rubbing circles on her back. He'd never seen her react to anything like this before. He looked back up at the field, through the red mist. His eyes widened in horror. "Holy fuck," he whispered.

The… _thing_ that Mitsuki and Boruto were fighting was beyond his comprehension. He wasn't sure what to call it. The subconscious, feral recesses of his mind were screaming that he needed to run. This wasn't the mission they'd been assigned. They were to help stop a rebellion, not fight a supernatural horror. Still, they couldn't abandon their charges, even if the children had no idea that they were being watched.

"Get me out of here," Karin choked. If she had to stay here any longer, she was afraid that she might lose consciousness. It was simply too much for her body to handle. The wind against her face helped to soothe her as she was carried away. They moved back and skyward, distancing themselves while maintaining a view of the battle going on down below.

Suigetsu set her down on the sloping rooftop of a tower, where she pulled her knees to her chest and lay her head down. "I have to go back," he decided.

Karin reached out, but her fingers closed around mist. She didn't dare try to sense him; she needed to shut down her ability as much as possible. Her body desperately wanted to faint, but she forced herself to remain conscious. She had to. For Sarada and for Mitsuki, she had to be ready to fight. As sick as she was, as terrible as she felt, that had to come first.

It felt like hours before the vile chakra disappeared, leaving just as quickly as it had arrived. The pressure on her chest lifted, and she took a shuddering, deep breath. The sudden change left her dizzy, and she didn't dare to lift her head just yet.

Footsteps clacked over the metal tiles, approaching her from the side. She put her hands in her hair, mussing it in the back. "Get me off this fucking island."


End file.
